Device for ending habit of smoking



Jan. 10, 1961 J. J. KELTER 2,967,528

DEVICE FOR ENDING HABIT OF SMOKING Filed March 12, 1959 Y "9- 42 Fig. 2

INVE R. JOSEPH J. KE R CLAMA. M

ATTORNEY United States Patent DEVICE FOR ENDING HABIT OF SMOKING Joseph J. Kelter, Brooklyn, N.Y., assignor to Falmouth Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Larchmont, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Mar. 12, 1959, Ser. No. 798,864

Claims. (Cl. 131-198) The present invention is directed to a device for ending the habit of smoking, and more particularly to a device whereby the habit of smoking cigarettes and thelike is terminated through resort to a regulated withdrawal from the harmful tobacco smoke.

Modern researches have established beyond question the harmful effects of smoking tobacco, and in particular cigarettes. However, experience has demonstrated that the smoking of tobacco, possibly due to the presence of the alkaloid nicotine, is a habit which cannot be readily terminated. 1

I have found that the habit of smoking cigarettes and analogous tobacco products may be broken by a regulated withdrawal over a time period in which the quantum of inhaled tobacco smoke is gradually reduced.

This invention has as an object the provision of adevi'ce for ending the habit of smoking.

This invention has as another object the provision of a device in which the smoking habit may be ended by virtue of the calculated reduction in tobacco 'smoke intake on the part of the smoker of a predetermined time period.

This invention has as a still further object the provision of a device which permits a predetermined amount of tobacco smoke to be inhaled by a smoker.

This invention has as yet another object the provision of a device in which the relative concentration of tobacco smoke to air inhaled by a smoker can be regulated.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention there is shown in the drawings a form which is presently preferred; it being understood, however, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.

Referring to the drawings wherein like reference characters refer to like parts:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of the device of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the devices of the present invention.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view, similar to that of Figure 3, but with the detent of the sleeve disposed within a different socket of the cigarette holder from the disposition of such detent in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 55 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings, the device of the present invention is designated generally as 10. The device comprises the mouthpiece 12, the sleeve 14, and the cigarette holder 16. While a wide variety of materials may be used to form the components of the device 10 of the present invention, preferably the mouthpiece 12 and cigarette holder 16 are formed from plastic, and the sleeve 14 is formed from metal.

The mouthpiece 12 is provided with a beaded end 18, which is inserted into the users mouth. The passageway 22 at the front end 24 of mouthpiece 12. The passageway 20 may be of round or elliptical cross-section at the beaded end 18 of the mouthpiece I2, and may tape: to substantially the shape of the crescent shaped slot 22 at the front end 24 of the mouthpiece 12. The front end'24 of mouthpiece 12- is flattened to provide a planar surface which is generally imperforate except for the crescent shaped slot 22.

The air duct 26 comprises an opening in the wall of the mouthpiece 12 which is disposed intermediate the ends of the mouthpiece 12. The air duct 26 enables the passageway-20 to be in communication with the outside atmosphere at all times.

The outside surface of the mouthpiece 12 is recessed at 28 to provide a surface on which the sleeve 14 may bepress fitted. The mouthpiece 12 is provided with the shoulder 30 on its outer surface against which the sleeve 14 is seated.

The sleeve 14 serves to maintain the mouthpiece 12' and the cigarette holder 16 in axial engagement. Although the sleeve 14 is press fitted to the mouthpiece 12, it is relatively loosely engaged with the cigarette holder 16, as may be seen particularly in Figure 2. 7

Axial disengagement between the mouthpiece 12 and the cigarette holder 16 is prevented by the reception of the detent 32 on the inner wall of the sleeve 14 within one of the sockets 34 on the outer wall surface of the cigarette holder 16.

The outer wall surface of the cigarette'holder 16 is provided with a recessed portion 36, which as above-indicated is loosely spaced in respect to the juxtaposedinner surface of the sleeve 14. A plurality of the sockets 34 are radially disposed on such recessed portion 36 in alignment permitting operative engagement with the detent 32 of the sleeve 14. In the illustrated embodiment five sockets 34 are provided, such five sockets being designated respectively as 34(1), 34(2), 34(3), 34(4), and 34(5). However, it is to be understood that a larger or smaller number of such sockets may be utilized in the device 10 of the present invention.

An index point 38 is provided on the'outsid'e wall surface of the sleeve 14 to indicate the position of the detent 32. Indicia 40 are provided on the outer surface of the cigarette holder 16 adjacent the front end of the sleeve 14, as can be seen in Figure 1, to designate the location of the sockets 34, such 'indicia 40 being inr'adial alignment with their respective sockets and being referenced to 7 sockets 34 to be evenly distributed about the peripheryof the cigarette holder 16. Thus, the method .of the present invention comprehends a non-linear tapering off of cigarette smoke, and the sockets 34 may bespa'ced to produce any intended non-linear tapering off which is desired.

The cigarette holder 16 is provided with the cavity 42 within which the cigarette to be smoked isreceived. The cavity 42 is defined by the cylindrical wall of the cigarette holder 16, and by its back end 44. A crescent shaped opening 46 is provided in the back end 44. As seen particularly in Figures 2, 3, and 4, the crescent shaped opening 46 is offset from the crescent shaped slot 22 so that even when the crescent shaped opening 46 and the crescent shaped slot 22 are disposed with maximum alignment affording maximum registry, as shown in Figure 3, but a fractional portion of each of crescent shaped opening 46 and crescent shaped slot 22 are overlapped.

The operation of the device of the present invention and 'the method of the present invention is as follows:

A user of the device who intends to end his habit of smoking cigarettes commences using the device 10 in the detent 32 received withinthe socket 34(1), such setting being achieved by the use of the index point 38 and the indicia 40 as shown in Figure 1. With this setting, the crescent shaped opening 46 in back end 44 of cigarette holder 16 is in maximum alignment with the crescent shaped slot 22 in the front end 24 of mouthpiece 12, as shown in Figure 3. When a cigarette is inserted within the cavity 42, and then smoked in the device 10 of the present invention, the cigarette smoke being drawn through the device 10 is blended with air from the atmosphere which is introduced into the passageway from the air duct 26.

After the user has become accustomed to using the device 10 with the setting indicated as l, he rotates the cigarette holder 16 in reference to the mouthpiece 12 until the detent 32 is received within socket 34(2). The user will notice both by the mechanical click which will be obtained when this event occurs, and also by the alignment between the index point 38 and the indicium "2. In this setting the extent of registry between the crescent shaped opening 46 and the crescent shaped slot 22 is reduced from the prior setting in which the detent 32 is received within the socket 34(1). Thus, upon inhalation using this setting, the percentage of inhaled tobacco smoke in Figures 1, 2 and 3, and blowing through the device.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and, accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims, rather than to the foregoing specification as indicating the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A device for ending the habit of smoking comprising a mouthpiece member having a passageway therethrough, a cigarette holder member, a sleeve for embracing said members and holding said members in operative engagement, an opening in said cigarette holder mem her which may be aligned withthe passageway in said mouthpiece member when said members are in operative engagement, with said sleeve press fitting one of said members and loosely engaging the other of said members, whereby the other of said members may be rotated within said sleeve, and means on said sleeve cooperating with the other of said members for selectively maintaining said sleeve and the other of said members in such disposition that the opening in said cigarette holder member and the passageway of said mouthpiece member may be selectively registered.

passing through the passageway 20 to the percentage of air from air duct 26 passing through the passageway 20 will be reduced.

After the user has become adjusted to the aforesaid setting 2, the cigarette holder 16 is then rotated to the setting 3 in which the detent 32 is received within the socket 34(3). The procedure set forth above is then followed after which the cigarette holder is rotated to the setting 4" which is shown in Figure 4. As can be seen from Figure 4, in this setting the extent of overlapping between the crescent shaped opening 46 and the crescent shaped slot 22 is very small, so that the percentage of tobacco smoke to air being inhaled by the user is likewise very small.

When the setting 5 is reached, the amount of tobacco smoke which is inhaled by the user is almost negligible, although there will be traces of tobacco smoke coming through the passageway 20, so that the user will get a slight sense of smoking a cigarette. From the stage 5" to complete elimination of the smoking habit, all that is required is the use of either a plugged holder, if the user wishes to persist with the insertion of something within his mouth, or the complete elimination of smoking and the holding of an object in the users mouth.

By the gradual elimination of the amount of tobacco smoke being inhaled by the user over a prolonged period of time, the user can be completely divorced from the tobacco habit.

The cleaning of the device 10 of the present invention is readily accomplished. Thus, the cigarette holder 16 may be readily separated from the sleeve 14 by pulling the same axially, if a thorough cleaning of the device is needed, or alternatively, the user may effect a fair degree of cleaning by setting the device at the stage "1 shown 2. A device in accordance with claim 1 in which the sleeve is provided with a detent which may be received in any one of a plurality of sockets in the other member.

3. A device in accordance with claim 1 having a duct communicating between the ambient atmosphere and the passageway in the mouthpiece member.

4. A device for ending the habit of smoking comprising a mouthpiece having a passageway therethrough, a cigarette holder, a sleeve embracing said cigarette holder and said mouthpiece for holding said cigarette holder and said mouthpiece in operative alignment, an opening in said cigarette holder which may be aligned with the passageway and said mouthpiece when said cigarette holder and said mouthpiece are operatively aligned, said sleeve being press fitted on said mouthpiece and being References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 827,822 Stapley Aug. 7, 1906 2,106,774 Tarbox Feb. 1, 1938 2,153,623 Jacobson Apr. 11, 1939 2,189,684 Sprinkel Feb. 6, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS 4,194 Great Britain 1883 256,139 Germany Jan. 29, 1913 776,316 Great Britain June 5, 1957 

